Treatment of imipramine-resistant recurrent depression: I. An open clinical trial of adjunctive L-triiodothyronine
Thase, M.E.; Kupfer, D.J.; Jarrett, D.B.
Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 50(10): 385-388
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0160-6689 PMID: 2676995 Document Number: 337770
Prior studies suggest that supplemental treatment with thyroid hormone may enhance the patient's response in depression resistant to tricyclic antidepressants. The authors report on the lack of efficacy of adjunctive L-triiodothyronine (T3; 25 micrograms/day) in a sample of 20 outpatient unipolar depressives who had not responded to greater than or equal to 12 weeks of treatment with imipramine (mean dosage = 240 mg/day) and interpersonal psychotherapy. The overall response rate after 4 weeks of T3 was low (25%); the outcome did not differ significantly from a matched historical comparison group who received continued tricyclic treatment but not T3.